If you’re not confident doing the job yourself, professional fitting will typically cost you between £50 and £150, depending on the car and camera set-up needed.
Guide to common dash cam terms
App links
As with most gadgets available these days, all but the most basic dash cams will have an app that allows you to access the menus, view footage and download files to your phone. This will either be in addition to a screen on the back of the camera, or instead of it.
The apps will be linked by either Bluetooth or the camera’s own WiFi link, which tends to be faster. Some units will also feature a built-in SIM card, which allows you to access footage captured by the dash cam – and even a live feed – from anywhere you might be.
Hard wire
Most dash cams will come as standard with an adaptor so they can be powered using either a 12V socket or a USB outlet. This may be fine for some cars where the sockets are in a discreet place on the dashboard, but it could be difficult for other models where the wires might get in the way or look untidy.
Hard wiring means the camera takes a feed directly from the car’s fuse box, so it is always on and looks far neater. It is possible to fit a hard wire kit as a DIY job, but most people will leave the installation to an expert.
Memory
The majority of dash cams use a micro SD card to store footage. This can be removed so you can view and download on your computer, or you’ll usually be able to connect to the camera using a wireless link to a smartphone app.
A two-channel camera recording at 60FPS in 4K is going to create a lot of data on a long journey, so you’ll need to budget for a bigger-capacity card, or look for cameras that allow connection to a hard drive. Some models download via a mobile data connection to a cloud, but they charge you a fee for doing so.
Mountings
If you have a small or shallow windscreen, such as in an MX-5 or a MINI, you’ll want to ensure you have a bracket that is compact and doesn’t dangle too far. All the cameras here use adhesive fixings, but some have suction mounts available as an option.
